Lost in Gifford
by amber nichole
Summary: 6 girls and their family's go camping over the summer holidays. When the mountain erupts the girls get lost hungry, scared, alone, and cold hearted. Will they survive?
1. Five becomes Six

Episode #1: By Amber "Hey," Amber yelled out. While the wind was gushing against her face as she was riding her bike. "Saylah and Emily do you want to go to the river when we get back to the campsite?"

"We," Saylah paused as her bike hit a big rock and went over it, "Whoa!" Her bike jumped slightly in the air just far enough to scare her and be fun at the same time. "Anyway we are at the river now!" said Saylah as she squeezed the bike brakes that usually didn't want to stop. Though thank God and maybe a little oil she applied to them every once in a while, she managed to stop without hitting her friend the tree or ending up in the hospital. Or it would be her friend until she was in the hospital saying, "I rode into a tree, ouch…"

"Awesome," exclaimed Saylah's younger sister Emily who was nearly the same age as Amber was.

"B-E-A-U-TIFUL!" Amber said giving the same impressions as the popular comedian Jim Carry did in the movie Bruce Almighty.

"So I really did remember where it was from last time, didn't I?" Saylah said move her head in a small quick side motion, sarcasm in her eyes.

"Unh Hun, now what are we waiting for?" Emily asked as she kicked the kickstand down in to the dirt. However as usual the old bike's kickstand put up little fight and let the rusty bike clunk on the ground.

"Yeah, what are we waiting for?" Amber agreed as she through down her bike, Saylah following.

"First one down here gets to take Fritz on a walk!" Emily yelled back to the two girls who were too amazed with the views of the tall green hills and the deep blue river. The water's currents swirled in white torn clouds making the same noise as when a frustrated writer crumpled up his paper.

"Uh, Emily, you said first one down there and that would be you." Amber pointed out as, her and Saylah began laughing even throwing their heads back at the sight of Emily's confused to angry to happy again face.

"Dang!" Emily laughed as she took a breathless Fritz from the bike ride over and let him free from the leash. He bolted into the water quicker that dropping a pound lead out of the top story of the Empire State building.

"Yeah, now let's go play in the water. It is smoking out here." Saylah suggested as she threw off her dirt stained and well-loved pinkish brown flip-flops.

"Okay!" Amber and Emily yelled in unison as they both made a v-line for the water's edge following Saylah's lead.

All of the girls went down to splash in the water and have a good time. The icy waters swirled around them making the perfect medicine for the hot sun in the middle of July. The time was passing by as the trio of girls laughed played and soaked in the sun until the time seemed to be but another lost object like car keys. It was nearly two hours later Amber looked at her water poof watch and said to the other two girls "Hey, sorry but we got to go back to camp, times a little more than up."

"That's okay we can come down here later," Emily said smiling a devilish smile. What later really meant was saying hi to parents, grabbing a quick lunch and riding back in less that a half an hour flat.

"Sounds like a plan man!" Saylah cracked as she leashed Fritz back up and slipped back on her pink flip-flops.  
Emily, Amber, and Saylah whipped all the sand off them selves and grabbed their bikes then rode up the trail. Fritz lapped beside them on the skinny trail chasing their bike tires the whole way. It was 11:00 am when they got back to camp that motivated the girls to just make a quick lunch instead of reaching for a few Popsicles and pixie sticks. "I am so hungry!" Emily exclaimed hunching over and grabbing her stomach. Amber and Saylah agreed and then went into their trailer and made turkey sandwiches. The task of sandwich making was annoying and time consuming to three hungry girls, though the reward of biting into a cold turkey sandwich on a hot summer afternoon was one they would never pass up for no river.

"Yum!" Amber squealed as she bit into the sandwich as her and Saylah walked out of the trailer to eat their sandwiches out side on the lawn chairs.

"Want some, Fritzy; you had a sweet run today! Hey little Ike, he will eat any thing Amber! Look," Saylah tossed him a square of lettuce and he quickly at it wagging his cropped tail. Amber laughed and threw him a chip, which he crunched in his mouth.

"I wonder where Casey could be," Amber said curiously. "He wouldn't want to miss the opportunity of a hunk of turkey sandwich!"

Just then Emily came out of the trailer with three cans of off brand orange soda pop. Amber cracked open the seal that made a sweet hissing sound and then took a big gulp. It was sweet and cold, just right at a time like this. That day was perfect. Hanging out with your best friends camping, eating turkey sandwiches, and drinking orange soda, what more could any best friends ask for. They all sat down in the lawn having the blue blanket of cloudless sky above your head. The birds were sweetly whistling, dogs distantly barking, bike tires spinning, people talking, and diesel trucks driving. The campground was the greatest symphony of random and familiar noises that filled their ears as they ate.

Meanwhile, Shana came into the campsite with Anita. They were talking about anything and everything. Amber, Saylah, and Emily all exchanged glances and went to Amber's campsite. Yet, Amber's campsite was a disaster. Their dads were talking loudly and Jenna and Kayla were singing, joy-to-the-world-barney's-dead.  
Irritated Emily said. "Oh, my, gosh, do you guys want to go to the river and eat?" as family members were invading their own music of the quite and yet somewhat loud harmonic experience with nature and the things of camping.

"That sounds sweet." Amber replied in her head. So the friends rode in the direction of the river, each girl imagining the sweet smell of pine and the sight as the beams of the sun danced on the still side of the water.

Episode #2 by Saylah

Then they finally reached the river, which had been a difficult task considering Amber, Emily, and Saylah were each juggling the task of riding their bikes down a rock and vine laden trail while clutching their half eaten sandwiches and newly opened orange soda. In anticipation they all three threw down their bikes not even bothering with kick stands this time and dashed down to the rocky shore of the river. As if an instinct instilled in each one, Amber, Emily, and Saylah settled themselves next to each other on a fallen log facing the river and began to finish of lunch.

"Yup, this is the life!" Saylah commented between bites of turkey sandwich.

"Yeah." Amber agreed.

"This river kind of reminds me of the one at Ghormley. It has the same deep blue water though you can still see the bottom of it. We always went tubing in that one. It was so cold too! I wish we could go tubing here, but I think it might be too deep," Saylah went on examining the water closely.

"Hey Saylah," said Emily. "Maybe we can talk dad into taking us out on a different river tomorrow."

"That would be so awesome," exclaimed Amber with enthuse.

"Well, if we play our cards right and talk my mom into it first, I think we might be able to go, I mean we have the tubes in the trailer, we should go. It is not like we use them a lot anyways," proclaimed Saylah. Then she jumped off the log and grabbed a few faithful flat stones from the shore's edge. Saylah skipped the first three a far distance until Amber and Emily joined her.

The trio skipped rocks and told jokes until the smell of campfire smoke rose up just as the sun fell down over the horizon of hills of deep green pine trees. Suddenly the whole outdoors became a cold shadow and the girls knew it was time to head back up to the campsite. Ridding their bikes the whole way they took the long way back jumping over small logs and doing easy bike tricks. Finally they were to the corner they could hear the loud sound of Fritz barking and county music playing. All the lights shown threw the trees, and smoke curled up towards the sky like a giant sting of translucent spageti.

Dumping the bikes off by Saylah and Emily's dad's truck, the headed into the campsite where they we greeted by Ike who greeted them like he hadn't seen them in months. The girls where then mauled by Fritz was much bigger and still slightly jealous of Ike the new puppy of the family.

After pulling away from Fritz, the girls walked into the Leu's trailer like they owned it, which Saylah and Emily's parents did anyway. Grabbing some Pixie Sticks out of the cabinet, they proceeded to walk out.

"Hold it," shouted Shana.

"What?" Emily called innocently.

"We are going to be having Chicken and Dumplings as soon as someone helps me Finnish cutting up the carrots and celery," Shana said.

"Fine," said the two sisters.  
Emily and Saylah said in accord, though inside they were sullen about not getting out of helping with the preparation of dinner, another annoying task. Amber helped bring out the ingredients for the dumplings and they all begin cutting carrots. When they were finished they brought them to Shana and she threw them into a big pan. The girls played cards on the pick knick bench while the soup began to cook, each one getting hungrier and hungrier as the smell of chicken drifted through the air.

In what seemed like a week, the soup was done and the family began to line of and serve themselves. They pour salt and pepper on the top, and loaded on some butter too. Then they all began to eat in silence because the dumplings were so good, no one could stop eating to talk. When they were all eaten, Emily began to hiccup, though she could still feel the warm dumplings making their way to her stomach. She felt full and warm and sort of sleepy.

Then it was time to clean up, and they all threw the paper plates into the fire and watched them as they turned black and curled up smaller and smaller until they finally disappeared into the coals.

"Hey mom, can we go tubing tomorrow?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, that would be fun. I will talk your dad into going tomorrow."

"We never use those tubes anyway. We should go," reported Saylah.

"It is going to be fun!" exclaimed Amber with great joy.

"Yep," Emily agreed.

Amber, Emily, and Saylah got up and headed into the woods where they went looking for a few good sticks to roast marshmallows on since they didn't want to burn their carved sticks which they carved yesterday morning. Finally Amber and Saylah found theirs, Amber proudly named her stick Mick the Stick Jr. and Saylah named her stick Delia the woody one. Emily however had to look a little longer. Later she found hers and named it Dick the Stick, again.

The girls roasted marshmallows over the hot fire and chatted. Emily burned her marshmallow to a crisp, while Amber and Saylah tried for a more browned marshmallow. Saylah finished her perfect marshmallow last and also enjoyed the shortest; she stuffed the whole thing in her mouth including part of the stick, which she spit out immediately.

"This has been a fun day," Saylah said.

"Dido!" chimed in Emily.

"Dido too!" yelled Amber.

The trio happily talked and enjoyed nature, as it became so dark that that you could only see one another by the fire. They played card games until settling down inside the tent where they told scary stories before bed. Finally they fell asleep one by one, each happy and excited for tomorrow.

Episode #3 By Amber Then next morning all of the girls woke up and got ready to go back to the river. While they were getting dressed Kevin, Amber's dad, came and knocked on the tent and asked. "Do you girls want to come eat breakfast over at our camp site?"

"Sure," the girls replied back.

"Alright, come on over in about fifteen minutes. Saylah, and Emily, your parents and sister are eating over at my site too okay?" Kevin told all of the girls.

"Got it like a fly under a fly swatter," Saylah in a smooth voice. Emily and Amber laughed at this expression for a length nearly exceeding five minutes. Saylah shook her head at them.

When the girls were all dressed they went over to Kevin's campsite, as they had empty stomachs and full thoughts of what they were going to do that day.

The three friends sat down at the picnic table, and ate eggs, sausage, and had apple juice to drink except for Saylah who preferred cereal to sausage, she wasn't much for meat. "Mmmm…" they all said between large bites of breakfast.

After they had done the dishes, as they call putting the paper plates, and plastic utensils in the fire and watching then shrivel up into nothing but flame and ash they girls spilt for the river but not before telling their parents.

"Hey, mom, can we go to the river?" Emily pleaded.

"Yeah, please!" Saylah chimed in.

"Well, okay. The rest of us are going to town so we will leave the door of the trailer unlocked. We are taking Fritzy, Ike and the little girls with us. Saylah and Emily be careful, Saylah you're in charge." In charge, a phase that Saylah had spat in her little sister's faces for years, it was a good feeling.

Soon all three girls were heading out on their bikes on the dusty and pinecone loaded trail towards the wondrous sparkling river. 


	2. Now what do we do?

A: That chapter was really the Introduction to learn the characters and everything... so now the interesting story begins.. Leave a Review!

Episode 4 By Emily As they raced on our bikes on the trails Saylah, Amber, and Emily saw the river. It was an amazing color of blue green, the exact color of Advil liquid gels caplets. All of them saw the old sun bleached log that nearly stretched across the whole river. "Hey do you guys want to build a raft from the logs on the shore?" asked Saylah as the idea racing small rafts down the river conjugated in her mind.

"That will be cool, I have some sting in my backpack," said Emily.

Throughout the afternoon they worked really hard and finally built a couple small rafts. Amber went and tied the little rafts onto a root that stuck out from the sand. On the count of three Amber was going to cut the rope sending the tiny bobbing rafts toward the rumbling currents of the river.

"Oh wait, we forgot to put some people on the rafts," Saylah scooped up a couple of rocks and placed them on the raft.

"Ready," chanted Amber, "set, go!" The scissors sniped effortlessly through the small string and sent the boats down the river.

"And they're off!" began Saylah in deep voice trying to achieve that of a good impression of a racehorse announcer. Bettering her acts picked up a thick piece of driftwood and used it as a microphone as she continued her act.

"And they are coming to the first rock," Saylah pretended to pick up fake binoculars with one hand and squint through them. "Ah, and the pack makes a beautiful turn with Emily's raft in sure lead." Amber and Saylah were victims to laughing hysterically at Saylah's ridiculously funny tactics.

"But wait, what's this folks? Wow, what is this! It is Amber's raft from behind the back! She is moving up, just went around the Saylah's beau. This is an incredible folk! She is going for that comeback! Can she do it? The last turn around the rock is in front of her now." By now Saylah was yelling with enthusiasm in her deep racehorse announcer's voice.

"The two are just neck and neck. No! And Amber's raft passes Emily's. I can't believe my eyes it is now Amber's great raft in the dead lead. Oh now! What is this? It is the Amber raft! It looks like, no folks it just can't be. She was in the home stretch! Sad to say ladies and gents but she went down, she went down hard. Ouch! The rider must be quite bruised. What a sad day today here at this raging river we like to call the track. Hate to see this. But what a race folks, golly, what a race!" Now Saylah was laughing so hard she bent over and slapped her knees.

"That was so much fun!" squealed Amber through leaving laughs.

"Yeah," chuckled Emily.

Episode 6 by Emily and Saylah So later we asked Shana if we could go tubing. "I guess that would be okay," Shana exclaimed.  
"Hey Russ the girls want to go tubing tomorrow is that okay?" He got that look on his face like he really didn't want to, but he nodded yes anyway.

"Well you better Kevin and Anita first to see if Amber and Kayla can go, we have enough life jackets."

"Girls you know what to do," Shana said.

Just as they started to walk to amber's campsite they saw Emily's friend Valerie. The truck stop and Valerie stepped out. "Wow, Emily you didn't tell me you camped at Iron Creek."

"Well you didn't tell me that you camped at Iron Creek. Sorry I've been rather rude, this is my friend Amber and this is my sister Saylah. We are going to ask Amber's parents if we could go tubing tomorrow." Emily said.

"Do you want to come to?" asked Amber.

"Sure that will be fun," Valerie squealed," as long if it's okay with my parents."

The four girls started walking down the wooded trail to Amber's campsite. It wasn't far from the Leu sister's campsite soon they were there. "Mom, Dad is it okay if we go tubing tomorrow," Amber pleaded.

"Um you guys are old enough I suppose. Is their life jackets?" asked Anita.

"Yes mom." Amber answered back.

"Well it is okay with me. Hey how is your friend?"

"This is Valerie, Emily already knew her from school," Amber told her mom.

"Oh how nice. Well okay you can go later as long as Jenna and Kayla can come," Anita exclaimed," they miss doing stuff with you."

"Jenna and Kayla do we have to take them," cried the girls exasperated.

"Fine I guess you can't go tubing," argued Anita.

"Fine on one condition, as long as they don't get in our way too much," Amber said in a disappointed voice.  
Then the girls went back to Saylah and Emily's trailer and grabbed a few otter pops. "Yummy," said all of the girls.

"Let's go ask my parents to see if I can come," Valerie shouted.

Strangely enough Valerie's campsite was right next Emily's. Now the Leu's campsite was right smack in the middle. "Hey, mom can I go tubing with Saylah, Amber and Emily tomorrow?''

''Well okay,"

"Hey, ask your mom if you can sleep in our tent," said Amber.

"Mom can I sleep in Amber's tent?"

"If there's enough room."

"Yes!" screamed all of the girls.

That night Amber was having campfire stew. Then Amber asked if we wanted to eat her camp and we all agreed. The soup tasted really good and of course we all had to agree even Valerie which was only her first time eating it. Valerie went back to her campsite and gathered her sleeping, pillow and blanket. "I'm so glad we are friends," said Valerie as she dosed off to sleep.

"Yah it's morning," said the girls as they said it all together and started to laugh.

"I'm excited about going down the river," Valerie said.

"Dido," Emily said.

"Dido-dido," said Amber.

"Yeah," Saylah sighed.

All of the girls including Kayla and Jenna got there swimming suits on and took there towels and some beach chairs and loaded them into the back of the truck. Since there weren't enough seats in the truck, Saylah, Emily, Amber, and Valerie climbed in the back of the truck with Fritz. Fritz was overjoyed to have the company with him in the back of the truck and greeted them with nothing less than the biggest sloppiest kisses right in the face mouth open or not. Saylah and Emily were used to it, however Amber and Valerie screamed at the face that they now had sticky dog kisses all over their faces.

"I feel like I just got a shower!" screamed Valerie horrified.

"He does that, a lot." Amber commented.

"I am so glad Valerie you finally got to meet Fritz! He has smelled all those steaks you cooked the other night and he wanted to smell the person who ate them," Saylah laughed. "Oh by the way." the truck begin to move off the bumping dirt road onto the main highway. Almost immediately a red truck sped past the truck going the opposite way. Saylah, Emily and Amber moved out off the way in time, though Valerie was less lucky. Fritz tried to chase the car from the back of the truck and ended up barking and spewing more slobber into Valerie's face. Saylah and Amber tried to conceal their laughter when Valerie started crying.

"Ugh! Julie doesn't have that much spit! He could provide water for the whole freaking Sahara Desert!" Valerie yelled so loud that even the people in the cab turned around.

"Sorry," said Emily quietly, Valerie started to wipe her tears. The truck hummed along the main road and four more cars passed, which Valerie managed to dodge Fritz each time. Finally they reached the turn for the river and turned on to a very dusty, bumping one lined road. The truck began to climb and hill. Then their were a series of turns on a road that was so over grown that the trees brushed the side of the truck like brushes in a carwash. Overhead the trees closed in closer with every minute making the trees girls seem like they were going through a green tunnel. Suddenly the road was flat for a stretch and then began to decline sharpie. The road forked three more times, though the girls in the back of the truck we completely oblivious to any the direction the truck had gone. The incident with Fritz was forgotten and the girls were laughing and excited for the ride down the river.

Not long after the truck arrived near the river. Opening the hatch the girls and Fritz jumped out and followed the crashing sound of the river. They slid down the riverbank and jumped through the rocks intertubes in hand. Laying them on the rocks they striped down to their swimming suits. Saylah set her orange beach bag down amounts the rocks and Amber got her waterproof camera ready.

"Okay girls, hey, they water looks kind of rough are going to probably want to keep your clothes on and your shoes, don't want you to break a foot, the hospital is ninety miles away," Russell warned.

"We understand dad," Saylah said annoyed. The girls put their shoes back on. Then Fritz he started barking for no reason, habit which he was famous for.

"Shut up!" Russ yelled.

"Fritz, please be quiet" Cooed Jenna.

"What is that dog barking at anyway?" Kayla asked.

"He's probably just barking at a squirrel or something," Amber said.

Then all four girls ran up to the riverside and set their tubs into the water. Slowly the eased in, laughing at the shock of how cold the water was. Emily pushed off first followed by Valerie, Kayla, Jenna, Amber, and Saylah. The parents stood at the edge and waved. Russ called out something with his hands cupped, though the roar of the river downed out the sound of his words. Something about waiting in the truck, Saylah thought. Saylah returned him with thumbs up and a smile.

He waved back just as she disappeared out of sight. The river water pushed over the girls and they each screamed every time until the knobbiness sank in. They laughed and Jenna began to pass Emily who was head of the pack. Out of nowhere, the river seemed become stronger and a rumble came from both sides of the woods. It sounds as if heard semi-trucks were driving in the woods, crushing trees and rocks in their way. Suddenly it was as if the wind picked up the trees began swaying back and forth heavily. Just a head there was a crack that rang out like lighting. It was as if time had slowed down, a tree fell in from of Jenna plunged down toward the water. Jenna screamed, and then there was silence. Not even the river could scream out now. Saylah now in the lead was approaching the fallen tree, which now stretched the length of the river.

"Jenna!" Saylah called out. "Oh my goodness! Jenna!" Behind her Saylah could hear the screams of the other girls. Around them the earth continued to shake. Then as fast it had started, the shaking has stopped. The silence was piercing; even the screams of the girls had stopped.

"Help!" The cry was so small; it was like a needle being dropped on the floor. Saylah thinking that her ears had deceived her, she didn't believe it was Jenna until she heard it again.

"Jenna? Are you okay? I am coming," Saylah, said she began to wade toward the shore. Paddling relentlessly she made little progress toward shore. On the brink of panicking, she grabbed on to the log and pulled her way to the shore. Throwing her tube aside she climbed to the base of trunk and hopped over to the other side. There was Jenna's inter tube wedged halfway under the log.

"Jenna?" Saylah called out, again doubting her ears.

"Help me Saylah!" I'm stuck!" Wadding out toward, Saylah grabbed on to the log and made her way to Jenna. Her head ducked almost into the water was Jenna hanging on to the base of the inter tube.

"My, my foot, it's stuck," Jenna rushed her words panic in her eyes.

"It's okay. I am going to get you out. Um, which foot is it?"

"I don't know. Um, left, it is left," Jenna, cried out.

"Okay, I am going to get it out." Saylah grabbed on to the tube and tested it to make sure it was sturdy. Seeing that it was, she took in a deep breath and went under. The water was murky with mud and sticks flowing under the log. Closing her eyes she started to feel around with the hand that see had free. She felt Jenna's leg and began to pull, but it would barely move. Saylah ran out of breath and went up to a breath.

"Did you feel me touch your leg?" Saylah asked Jenna.

"Yeah."

"Is it still in the shoe?"

"Uh huh."

"Try to wiggle it out when I unloosen the laces.

"Oh-okay," Jenna said bobbing her head in the water.

"Okay," Saylah said then she took in a breath and disappeared. Reaching around Saylah felt for Jenna's shoe again. It took awhile but she finally found it. Her head was screaming for air, but she was determined to get Jenna's foot out. Finding one of the shoelaces she pulled the middle until she felt Jenna wiggling her foot. Feeling like she couldn't go without air any longer, she came up for a deep breath of air.

"It's out!" Exclaimed happily as she began to climb up farther in the inter tube.

"Oh thank you God!" They celebrated for a moment then realized the danger they were still in. "We have to get out of here. Grab on to the edge of the log with one hand, then with the other onto me. We got to make it to the edge." Crawling against the base of the log, Jenna and Saylah made their way towards the base of the stump to the edge of the water. The water flowing under the log was less like water and now like the watery mud pie that four older girls often make in their backyards. Reaching the edge Saylah sat Jenna on the edge and went to check on the others.

"Emily?"

"What?"

"You guys need to get out of the water, they could be another quake."

"Okay, but how?"

"Tell the others to stay on the tubes and crawl along the log to get to shore."

"Alright." Carefully Amber, Emily, and Valerie pushed along the log towards the shore. Amber reached it first and then followed by Emily then Valerie. Lastly Kayla was pulled out. Saylah pulled them up and they threw their tubes in a pile.

"Now what do we do?" Valerie asked panicked.

"I don't know, but we need to stay close to shore. Amber do you still have your bag?"

"Yeah. It has a lot of water in it. I lost the camera though; I dropped in the water somewhere. Here I'll dump it..."

"No!" Saylah yelled. "Look at the river! It is all mud we might need that water. Is it water proof?"

"It is holding the water pretty good."

"That is good."

"Is Jenna okay?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, she is over here, her foot was caught, but she is out now." The girls climbed over the trunk and headed to Jenna.

"Jenna?" Kayla called in skepticism.

"I am over here." Jenna called. With Saylah leading the way they finally came into view of Jenna.

"What are we going to do?" Amber began crying and Saylah sat down next to and put her arm around her shoulder.

"I know this is really scary. I am still in total shock and disbelief that there was an earthquake number one, and secondly that Jenna is alive. When I saw that tree fall I swear my heart just stopped. I though there was no way she was alive on the other side. I mean my whole self was hopping see was there and alive, though I doubted it at the same time. There is no way even if I thanked God the rest of my life that I could ever thank him enough." At that Saylah reached over and pulled Jenna into a hug. "Right now I don't know what we are all going to do. Judging by the size of the quake, which I would guess about a seven or so, but it is hard to judge on the water, we might even have to stay here tonight. Where, God knows where. All I know is we have to be smart about this."

"What about aftershocks?" inquired Amber with deep concern? "Don't most big earthquakes have at least a couple of aftershocks?"

"That's right," sighed Emily taking it into consideration. "If we have another earthquake it could be just as big, or maybe bigger."

"That doesn't usually happen I don't think," reasoned Valerie.

"But what if it does? We could all die," whimpered Kayla. "What if mommy isn't okay?"

"Oh man," cried Amber.

"I am sure they are okay," Saylah tried to reassure the other girls. Though, deep down her stomach seemed to be as if it was performing for the Olympic gold medal. It flip-flopped and somersaulted, though she kept a straight face at all costs.

"But what are we going to do about food?" Valerie asked.

"We are going to have to be real careful, and at the very least really creative," announced Saylah. "Our biggest worry I think right now is whether or not we are getting out of here tonight. Does anyone have a watch?"

"Yeah," Valerie said.

"What time is it?" asked Saylah.

"It is almost three thirty."

"Okay, so that gives us like three hours before it starts getting dark, and five hours before it is totally pitch black. What we need to do is get back to where we started before we got into the river, the place on the riverbank where we set of at. Maybe Dad's truck will be there. If not at least we will be able to find the road," Saylah said laying out a plan.

"But there were so many turns in the road, even if we found the road how are we going to tell which way to get down?" Emily said with fear and frustration in her voice.

"The way I figure it, Dad's truck had to break a few branches which will help us get out of here. If we reach the main drag then we can flag someone down," Saylah stated clearly. "But we have to reach that spot tonight, or we might not find it again."

"How are we going to move Jenna?" Kayla asked concerned.

"I hadn't though of that..." Saylah murmured. "Can you walk Jenna?" Jenna shook her head now, she was still in shock and afraid of the situation they had just found themselves in.

"Okay then, um, Jenna here, you sit in the inter tube, and then Emily and I will carry you. Everyone else has to take their inter tube. We are going to need them to sleep on if we don't find anything else," instructed Saylah.

"But what about Jenna's tube, it still looks okay," Emily inquired.

"It is too dangerous to get it out. That log isn't very stable at all. If I try to move it, it could possible break lose from the shore and float over me. Not a good idea…" Saylah said out loud.

"Okay," said Emily. Everyone hoisted up their tubes, and Emily and Saylah placed Jenna in a tube and carried her.

"This is hard," said Kayla. "It is so big."

"Well…" began Saylah looking around.

"I know!" shouted Amber. "Here…" Amber threw down her inter tube and jumped ahead grabbing a long and short of skinny stick. "If we put the tubes on this like beads then Valerie and I can carry each end of the stick and Kayla can carry the bag of water."

"That is true brilliant!" exclaimed Saylah. She was amazed at how the other girls were all pitching in instead of fighting with each other like they would have done back at camp.

And so they set off. Trudging through the rocks on the shore of the river and weaving carefully over fallen sticks and small trees, they began to get into a rhythm; left foot, right, to the side, side. They walked in silence, nature coming back to life around them. Birds overhead crying, the river roaring, and crackles the small twigs breaking under their feet.

"When the night has come, and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we'll see…" Saylah burst out in song, her favorite by Ben E. King, Stand By Me. Her sister's Emily and Jenna knowing the song joined in.  
"No I won't be afraid, ooohhh I won't be afraid. Just as long, as you stand, stand by me. So darling, darling stand by me, ooohhh stand by me, oh stand, stand by me, stand by me… If the sky that we look upon, should tumble and fall, or the mountains should crumble to the sea. I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear. Just as long as you stand, stand by me. And darling, darling, stand by me. Ooohhh stand, by me. Oh stand now, stand by me, and stand by me…" They all smiled, and Amber and Valerie joined in. "Oh darling, darling stand by me, ooohhh stand by me. Oh stand now, stand by me whenever your in trouble won't you stand by me ooohhh stand by me, ooohhh stand now, stand by me, stand by me…" They moved faster with renewed spirit. Their worries were gone for that moment, and they were just kids in the mist of Mother Nature once again.

It seemed like it had been hours but they finally made it to the place where they had set of only hours ago. The beach part had shrunk, and a portion of it was covered with thick mud and small sticks. The girls set down their stuff farther near the base of the incline of the hill which Saylah checked first no make sure it was safe to sit by. Resting the girls looked around. The earth seemed to be in a stupor of distress, which now amount of cleaning, could cure. The girls tried anyway to clear a small spot to bunk down for tonight when a bright orange grabbed Kayla's eye.

Walking in the direction of this foreign shade of color she began to dig. Taking notice, Saylah and Amber curiously walked over to see what Kayla was doing. With a burst of energy, Saylah recognized the orange color as her beach bag and started digging furiously. Soon one of the hand straps was reviled and the girls pulled it the rest of the way out. It made a sound like a suction cup when the earth finally let it loose, but the bag seemed to still even be zipped however a bit muddy.

Brushing off some of the excess mud, Saylah opened the zipper and pulled out two over sized beach towels that she had brought for the trip. Digging deeper she pulled out her smaller bag, one she always brought with her in the woods, just in case. It was the size of a cosmetic bag, though it held enough to keep one person alive for a week. Inside it was a space blanket, a compass, a whistle, a small flashlight, the book, Edible plants of the Northwest, a small water bottle, and most importantly matches. The girl's eye's glazed over at the sight of what was to be their salvation for their first night along in the woods.

"Oh my God!" Saylah was nearly speechless. She never though that she would ever need this little pack, but now that they were in this situation, she vowed never to leave home without it. "I am going to have to thank mom for forgetting my pack!"

Then reality sunk in like a heavy rock to the bottom of the ocean. Would if her parents weren't alive? It was a terrible quake especially if for a truck that was driving on a narrow road. How lucky could she get in one day to have had Jenna make it alive and then find her survival pack? Could her parents really make it out of here too? She prayed for them and then pushed the though deep back into her mind. She had other things to focus on, thoughts like that couldn't tie her down right now.

"Maybe it will be okay after all," sighted Valerie.

"It is going to be okay, Saylah will take care of us," Emily said comforting.

"Well the first thing I need to do is check all the tress around us to make sure none are rotten and could fall in the event there was another quake," Saylah got up and began tapping the trees around her with fist. They all seemed to be dry and strong, but to be safe she check all the trees within ten yards of where they were sleeping. Finding not one that raised any suspicion, she went back to the group of girls who where preparing for a fire.

"There are hardly any dry sticks," said Valerie.

"They have to be dry though, or it won't start at all," stated Amber.

"We are going to need some extra wood too to keep it going for the night. We are going to need someone to look out through the night, to watch the fire, and other things…" Emily's voice dropped to a whisper at the last few words.

"Oh great! I hadn't even though of that. What if wolves come and eat us during the middle of the night! I can't sleep now. Thanks Emily!" Yelled Valerie in a mad voice, but she wasn't angry with Emily, she was afraid for us all.

"Guys! Valerie calm down, they have no reason to bother us if we don't bother them," Saylah said in attempt to calm the girls down.

"That is real reassuring!" Valerie muttered.

"Okay then you can take first watch if you can't sleep," said Amber annoyed.

"Fine, I will then." Valerie said before going away from the group to sit alone. Emily followed her and talked to her.  
"That Valerie girl is getting on my nerves," said Amber to Saylah quietly so her voice didn't travel.

"I know," began Saylah. "She is getting on my last nerve too. But she is just scared like the rest of us. It has been a terrible shock for everyone."

"Yeah, but I wish she was being less selfish, I mean Jenna can't even walk but she is not complaining," proclaimed Amber a little louder.

"We have to stay together on this or we are all going to fall apart. That means dealing with each other kindly no matter how much you want to take them by the shoulders and shake them," finished Saylah.

"Your right, I have to try to stay positive towards her. For Jenna's and Kayla's sake if nothing else, they especially are too young to die out here," sighted Amber. "Well, I guess if I had to be stuck in the woods like this, I am glad it is with you. You are going to get us out of here and everything is going to be okay, I just know it," Amber's words faltered but no tears escaped her eyes. Slowly she walked over to Valerie and Emily and made amends.

The sky was beginning to fade to a deep purple and the stars were coming out. Having no luck with the fire, Saylah decided to save the matches for tomorrow just in case. The girls pushed the inter tubes together in an oblong circle on the rocky muddy sand of the river and prepared to go to sleep. Valerie and Emily laid side by side on two inter tube each covering themselves with one of the beach towels. Kayla and Amber did the same. Saylah and Jenna however shared the one inter tube sitting in it like a beanbag with the space blanket over them. That night everyone slept soundly, not even Valerie could keep watch for long.

A: I hope you guys that read this story like it there will be another chapter posted tomorrow! Stay tuned. And please leave a Review I enjoy them! 


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